It is well known in the field of medicine that there are predominantly two forms of physical damage that can occur to the human body: injury to hard tissue, e.g., bone or cartilage, and injury to soft tissue, e.g., skin, flesh, muscle, or tendon. Relating to the second type, soft tissue, and more specifically to tendon or ligament damage, recent studies have shown that contrary to the traditional practice of immobilizing an injured or healing joint, the joint should be subject to slow, continuous, and constrained motion to facilitate healing thereof. This type of therapy, it is proposed, is more beneficial to the surrounding cartilage and reduces the buildup of scar tissue that ultimately restricts mobility of the joint.
It is also well known that the application of heat to fibrous tissues such as tendons, joint capsules, and scar tissue causes these tissues to yield much more readily to tens heat reduces pain and relieves muscle spasms, and increases blood flow which helps to oxygenate the tissue and remove toxins. Consequently, heat is very beneficial to therapy associated with joint rehabilitation.